Artificial Sweeteners, the FDA, and Your Health

Once again, the connection between processed foods and disease is becoming increasingly clear. Despite industry assurances that artificial sweeteners pose no adverse health effects, consumers would be wise to investigate and consult with a trusted health care professional before feeding themselves and their families laboratory-concocted foods and food products.

Emerging research showing the links between the artificial sweetener aspartame and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease has come to light. Methanol toxicity, which causes a production of formaldehyde in the body, has been connected to aspartame. Additional maladies linked to methanol toxicity include multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, melanoma, and autism.

Aspartame is not the only artificial sweetener to avoid. Sucralose, sold under the name Splenda, has also been recently shown to have neurotoxic properties. A 2008 study showed that this compound increased intestinal pH level, harmed beneficial intestinal bacteria by up to half, and had a variety of other impacts with serious health effects.

One of the problems caused by aspartame and processed foods generally (including canned fruit), is the methanol poisoning. While some apologists point out that methanol exists in fruit, in that situation the methanol is attached to pectin, and the body is able to process it. The unattached methanol wreaks havoc on the body, creating formaldehyde and causing the destruction of myelin basic protein, which is one of the triggers for MS.

Relying on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess and relay information about what food and food products are actually safe would be folly. By the FDA’s own admission, the burden of proof and the benefit of the doubt are both placed on the producer. As Dr. Janet Hull points out in her article “Abusing the FDA Approval Process,” the FDA requires the industry do their own research, and that research is rarely if ever reviewed by independent scientists. A statement by the FDA’s own spokesperson relays a buyer-beware attitude when clarifying who is responsible for assuring safety: “Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their food products are safe and lawful . . .”

If you find yourself struggling with cravings for sweets, see helpful videos on this page as well as suggestions for alternatives or dietary changes to help curb cravings. As always, we encourage you to ask the doctors at Midway Chiropractic for advice and feedback on this and all your health and wellness needs.